Non-slip templates



Sept. 6, 1966 D. F. DREI-IER NON-SLIP TEMPLATES Filed Deo. 1, 1964 11 l l Il?, l Il 1) Il INVENTOR. DONALD F-T @12er-F2 3,270,715 NON-SHP TEMPLATES Donald F. Dreher, PD. Box 56, East Brookfield, Mass. Filed Dec. l, 1964, Ser. No. 416,961 4 Claims. (Cl. 1Z0-41) This is a continuation-impart of my co-pending application Serial No. 279,250, tiled May 9, 1963, and now abandoned. The present invention is concerned with similar subject matter and relates broadly to templates used either for marking or for shielding, and more particularly to those vwhich normally are patterned or apertured and held by hand against another object.

Among such templates may be included those used for marking a work-piece or for making a layout thereupon, stencils used for a Variety of purposes and similarly in surface contact with another object, and divers drafting tools such as drawing templates an-d erasing shields.

Due to the character of the mating surfaces, hand held templates often are ditiicult to hold firmly in their desired placement. Being confronted with this problem, Iit occurred to me that if the coefficient of friction were increased between the undersurface of the template and the object against which it is used, the holding force required to maintain the templates positioning would be reduced and its use simplified.

Therefore the object of the invention is to apply this principle to the design of various types of templates, thereby to increase their utility and to simplify their use.

Having thus outlined the substance of the invention and its objective, further exposition will be aided by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a direct view of the back side of a metallic template showing its under face which is abraded.

FIGURE 2 is a fragment-ary top view showing a nonslip elastomeric layer underlying and bonded to a supporting element, with the broken edge stepped, greatly enlarged and sectioned.

IFIGURE 3 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional segment indicating the addition of a differently coefiiciented layer :bonded to the opposite surface o-f the element shown in FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE l, this shows an erasing shield 1 in which are formed variously shaped apertures 2. These are viewed from the under face of -the shield, which has been abraded 3. Thus is sho-wn one olf the simpler forms in which a non-slip template may be executed. It may be either metallic or rigid plastic, and its onesurface roughening may be accomplished by whatever means suitable for the particular type of material chosen, including brushing, abrasive blast, chemical etch, mechanical upset, imaging, etc. It usually is preferable for the rolughening to be minute and sharp so tha-t it may key into the surface of the object against which it will be pressed in use.

FIGURE 2 shows a broken segment of a composite construction wherein a thin layer of relatively non-slip elastomeric material 4 has been attached to a supporting dimensionally stable body element 5, the attachment bonded if necessary by an intermediate coating or treatment 6, and the total construction functionally apertured 2 in whatever pattern 'best serves its intended purpose. The non-slip layer 4 may be a thin coating of rubber or other frictional elastomeric material, or it may be a film having Ithe desired properties. Its surface may be smooth, mat finished, or textured, depending upon the specific characteristics of a particular material and the use to which the template will be put. To those skilled in the art it will be apparent that the non-slip layer 4 may comprise a granular deposit which may be abrasive and sharply keying or soft and cushionable, or it may comprise a crystallizing lacquer or crackle finish enamel.

rates Patent O 3,270,715 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 ICC yIn FIGURE 3, in addition to the similarly part numbered elements shown in FIGURE 2, a layer olf material 7 has been bonded 8 to the opposite surface of the supporting body element 5, 4the composite -being aperturable as in the preceding figures. The exposed top layer 7 may be identically or differently colmpositioned and/or textured relative to the non-slip layer 4. This combinational construction provides the template with two Working surfaces and permits development of different types of anchorage for specialized applications, either surface being positionable against a mated object. Additionally it permits development of extremes between opposite surfaces, including that of maximal differentiation between high and low coefficients of friction. It further permits treatment of the outer exposed surface 7 in order to facilitate specialized use, e.g., to render it non-wettable by, and/or repellent to, a roller-, squeegeeor brush-applied paint.

It also |will be apparent that one or the other, or both, of the surfaces shown in FIGURE 3 might be abraded in the manner of FIGURE 1 in lieu of the bonded layer(s) 4, 7, and thus combinedly satisfy similar or different demands. Sim-ilarly the constructions may comprise twoor three-ply laminates together with such bonding or treating as might be required therein, and either o1' both outer surfaces conditioned to meet specific requirements of service. In addition to the examples earlier suggested, non-slip films capable of minimal caliper may include stretched polyethylene and Pliotilm, these films along w-ith highly plasticized compositions such as those containing polyvinyl chloiride/ acetate copolymers tending to be grab- |by even under minimal contact pressure. A flocked deposit of one of the finely-powdered polyoleiin resins also constitutes an interesting departure from established practice, thereby utilizing advantageously a type of product more recently introduced to the market. At the opposite extreme, Teilon and silicone have exceedingly low coefiicients of lfriction and in general such films and coatin-gs are non-wettable.

Even though it might seem ideal to maximize the frictional coefficient of all templates `olf the types herein described, many applications require that the template be slidable into the desired locati-on in full planar contact with the surface it overlays. -One example could be that of a drawing template used on the drafting board, the draftsman being accustomed to sliding such items into correct position rather than picking them up and placing them meticulously. Additionally the character of the surface against which the template is to be used and the manner of its u-se should be taken into consideration in determining the construction of the template, including its basic material and `the manner of treating its surfaces.

The teachings herein disclosed are applicable to erasing shields, the requirements of which are somewhat specialized but tending to differ in degree rather than in principle. -It is .highly desirable that the particular aperture which is being used contacts the work tightly land that the borders of the aperture be smooth and as thin as possible so that the eraser may contact definitively the area exposed. In order to achieve this combination of requirements together with the necessary rigidity and durability, the better erasing shields are made of stain-less steel of the order of .005 inch in thickness. Quite olbviously it would be difficult to match this set of requirements using substitute or lesser materials. By the same token, inclusion o-f a frictioning element which increased the total thickness appreciably would tend to negative the benefits gained by such inclusion. One rather obvious solution to this dilemma was illustrated in FIG- URE l and first described in connection therewith.

A further rettinement includes abrading both surfaces of such an erasing shield. Such a combination may be considered which would be preferred for a number of reasons in addition to those described immediately here-inbefore. Whereas this type of blast abrasion tends to stress-relieve the surface of the stainless steel sheet, causing it to curl sharply, relief of stresses in both surfaces reestablishes equilibrium and restores tiatness. yIt also has been learned that stress equilibri-um does not necessarily require equal a-brasion orf the opposite surfaces.

In my earl-ier application, previously identied, I discussed the advantage to be gained by reduction in the coefficient of friction between the eraser and the top surface of the sh-ield in order that the dislodging or lateral force applied by the eraser against the shield might be minimized At least by implication I suggested the use of a high-slip composition to achieve this highly desirable resul-t. However, due to the inherent high-friction-al characteristics of rubber and erasing compositions, the ga-in achievable by the suggested combination would tend in most cases to be relatively insignificant.

At this point I would realiirm the 'original premise, but suggest an alternative solution: abrade the exposed surface in the manner indicated above. As the eraser moves back and forth across the aperture and into friction-al contact with the shield, the roughened surface abrades tiny segments from the erase-r which roll between eraser and shield, thus =lessening the lateral force transmitted the shield. In addition, the working surface of the eraser tends to be cleaned with each stroke, preventing smudging of the work which can occur whenever the eraser is unclean.

Whenever lateral force is applied concom-itantly t-o the template and to t-he underlying object, such as occurs in the combined use of eraser and shield, frictioning of the interface aids materially in securing the underlying object wit-h reference -to its support and preventing its being shifted about, dislodged from its anchorage or damaged. In such application, abrading the top surface of the shield contributes additionally to securing .both the tool and the work.

Since the present invention includes specialized treatment of opposite surfaces, their identification may be advantageous. This may be accomplished in a number of ways among which may be included the use of contrasting colors. In the case of the stainless steel erasing shield having both surfaces blast-abraded, which tends to develop a dull grey mat finish, one or the other surface may be tinted, thereby permitting retention of the sharpness of the abraded surface. i

Although the present invention in certain applications might obviate the need for holding the template in working position, it will be apparent that in most instances when a template is subjected to lateral force it must be held in place at least during the time such force is applied. It also wil-l be apparent that frictioning the under surface at points of Icontact other than those at which perpendicular force is being applied would contribute little to `securing the templates placement. Thus, if maximal benefits are to be gained from the teachings herein disclosed, frictioning must be positioned at the points at which perpendicular force is to be applied. In certain templates, the frictioning of points or areas selectively positioned in accordance with the last-named requirement world suffice. =In others, wherein such positioning is indeterminable or is likely to occur randomly and/or at any point within the boundaries of the template, e.g., in the case of the erasing shield described, the frictioning should cover the full surface or if patterned it should be relatively coextensive With the entire surface.

It will be lunderstood that materials and techniques other than those named and/or described be utilized without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. Similarly, the elements discussed may be incorporated in a variety of combinations and for analogous purposes not s'peciiically mentioned in this instrument or in the identified co-pending application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1s:

1. A template comprising Va planar-formed body section of durable material, shaped and apertured in the manner dictated by its purpose, and having each of its surfaces specializedly modified in its affinity for a contacting element, such modificati-on consisting of one of those described respectively as being made (a) fri-ctionally aliinitatious by means of attachment of an elastomeric composition to said surface, (b) relatively nonainitatious frictionally, 4blut pressurably keyable, to a contacting element by means of roughening said surface, or (c) inherently nonaffinitatious by means of a surface coating comprising a chemical complex containing an inorganic radical,

said complex being of the order `identi-liable as silicone or Teflon, said coating means (c) being limited to one surface of said template, and said modifications oppositely disposed so as to permit conjunctive utilization when said elements are opposedly in contact respectively therewith, thereby permitting said template to be held reliably in the desired position with minimal application of holding force. 2. A template comprising a planar-formed body section of durable material, shaped and apertured in the manner dictated by its purpose, and having each off its surfaces frictionally modiied relative to a contacting object, such modication consisting of one of those described respectively as being (a) frictioned by attachment of an elastomeric composition to said surface, or (b) roughened in such manner `as to be pressurably keyable to said object, said modifications being oppositely disposed so as to permit conjunctive util-ization when said objects are opposedly in contact respectively therewith, thereby permitting said template to be held reliably in the desired position with minimal application of .holding force.

3. A template in accordance with claim 2, wherein said elastomeric composition comprises finely divided polyoleinic particles.

y4. A template in accordance with claim 2, wherein said body section comprises thin stain-less steel having both surfaces sharply and rninutely roughened by fine abrasive blast and concomitantly stress relieved in equilibrium.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,415,088 5/ 1922 Edmondson 120-41 2,134,688 11/1938 Fletcher 1Z0-41 2,427,852 9/ 1947 Golomb 1Z0-41 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,994 11/ 1894 Great Britain.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TEMPLATE COMPRISING A PLANAR-FORMED BODY SECTION OF DURABLE MATERIAL, SHAPED AND APERTURED IN THE MANNER DICTATED BY ITS PURPOSE, AND HAVING EACH OF ITS SURFACES SPECIALIZEDLY MODIFIED IN ITS AFFINITY FOR A CONTACTING ELEMENT, SUCH MODIFICATION CONSISTING OF ONE OF THOSE DESCRIBED RESPECTIVELY AS BEING MADE (A) FRICTIONALLY AFFINITATIOUS BY MEANS OF ATTACHMENT OF AN ELASTOMERIC COMPOSITION TO SAID SURFACE, (B) RELATIVELY NONAFFINITATIOUS FRICTIONALLY, BUT PRESSURABLY KEYABLE, TO A CONTACTING ELEMENT BY MEANS OF ROUGHENING SAID SURFACE, OR (C) INHERENTLY NONAFFINITATIOUS BY MEANS OF A SURFACE COATING COMPRISING A CHEMICAL COMPLEX CONTAINING AN INORGANIC RADICAL, SAID COMPLEX BEING OF THE ORDER IDENTIFIABLE AS SILICONE OR TEFLON, SAID COATING MEANS (C) BEING LIMITED TO ONE SURFACE OF SAID TEMPLATE, AND SAID MODIFICATIONS OPPOSITELY DISPOSED SO AS TO PERMIT CONJUNCTIVE UTILIZATION WHEN SAID ELEMENTS ARE OPPOSEDLY IN CONTACT RESPECTIVELY THEREWITH, THEREBY PERMITTING SAID TEMPLATE TO BE HELD RELIABLY IN THE DESIRED POSITION WITH MINIMAL APPLICATION OF HOLDING FORCE. 